Elected on partisan tickets, the Boone County Commission is 100% Democrat. By keeping the budget process so insular, the lack of transparent public engagement plays into the worst stereotypes of "tax and spend Democrats." But it also defies a party philosophy which emphasizes the importance of the average person, the common man.

In a comment that seemed to miss all these points, Southern District CommissionerKaren Miller told reporters in July that only twice in her 20 years on the County Commission has someone spoken at a budget hearing, "which is pretty sad."

At roughly $65 million, the 2014 budget is reportedly Boone County's largest in history. It includes a sales taxes for emergency and children's mental health service.